Tine’s POV

“Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I pass by again?” Did that man just really say a cringy line like that? We are at work for crying out loud. We just dealt with a really troubled girl, and this is what is on his mind?

I gave him a cold stare. This kind of behavior was highly inappropriate on the work floor. But unfortunately, Frank did not seem to take the hint. I have a girlfriend for crying out loud. I even took this job so Annie and I could both work at the same place and share a room in the faculty dorm. I thought the teachers would know this by now.

“What would you say about dinner one of these days.” He went on as if my cold stare was an opening to go further. I really hated guys that could not take a hint.

“No thanks. I have a girlfriend but thanks for the offer.” That should shoot him down and deal with this.

“Oh, I don’t mind. Skinship between girls is just something girls do for fun it has nothing to with finding a man.” From under what rock did he just crawl under? Just to be sure, I checked my phone. 2022… We had not gone back in time. I started to get mad.

“Now listen, you. I am not sure where you got that idiotic idea.”

“My ex told me. She often went with girls while we were together.”

I facepalmed. “And what is your ex doing now.”

“Oh, she got married to a woman in the meantime. We don’t have much contact anymore.”

How dense can someone be? I did not have a choice but to be incredibly blunt.

“Listen, she just told you that so that she could cheat right in front of you. there is no way on earth that you are going to convert a lesbian. Get the hint already.”

At least he started to look less certain of himself. I wanted to turn around and continue my work so he could leave without having to say another word and we could just put this unfortunate event behind us, but he stopped me by pulling my shoulder, so I gave him a slap in his face while shouting “Let go of me!”

He immediately let go and said, “I’m sorry...” He still seemed to be surprised by my reaction.

“Just get out of here!” I yelled. Frank left the room while rubbing his cheek.

My heart was beating like crazy. I should report this incident to the faculty, but I just got this job, and I do not want to be branded as that person that immediately shouts ‘sexual harassment at everything.

This job had been a dream come through for Annie and me. I was working switching shifts at the local hospital while she was working in a restaurant kitchen. It was safe to say that our relationship was suffering from the fact that we had so little free time in common. When we first noticed that there was a way for us to work at the same place with a live-in contract, it felt like there had to be a serious catch. I was so nervous during the job interview. If only one of us got accepted, we would have been back at square one and I knew that our relationship could not take being constantly separated like that for too much longer. So, we had a lot riding on this job opportunity, and I really did not want to risk anything during the 6 months trial period that was incorporated in my contract.

Due to Frank’s pushy behavior, I remembered the time that I met Annie for the first time. It was quite a few years ago. I remember thinking at that time that I was having one of the worst days of my life, but it ended up being quite the opposite.

That very day, I got fired from my first job. “Restructuring.” That was what they told me. “You are still young, we are sure that you will easily find a new job,” I was sure they knew I had a lot riding on that job. I needed proof of employment for at least 6 months to be able to rent an apartment and move out of my parent’s house.

My parents and I did not mix very well in those days. I had become the disappointment of the family after outing myself. And back then, knowing that I would have to stay there for at least 6 more months, maybe more if I did not find a job quickly sounded horrifying. 6 more months of hearing how great my sister Eveline was and why I could not be more like her.

After Eveline’s marriage fell through and she ended up pregnant on my parent’s doorstep, they changed their tune though. Mostly because I had helped Eveline carry the financial burden of having a kid and after Silke was born, I had helped out a lot. Mom and dad had been thoroughly impressed with my skills as a professional nurse. My help made sure that Eveline got the space to put her life back on track and these days she even lived back on her own.

But back to the day that I met Annie. I had been fired, and what else to do on such a horrendous day than to drown my misery, preferably with hard liquor? I know it was childish and that it does not solve anything, but I just wanted to let go for a bit.

I had gone to the Oude Markt (Old marketplace) in Leuven, a place where I often hung with friends when I was still in college, only this time I was by myself. A big mistake and it did not take long before a guy started hitting on me. I told him that I played for the other team, but a bit like Frank, he was certain that one night with him could convince me otherwise. The longer it went on the more aggressive his tactics became. I could see that the people that worked at the bar were keeping away from us, so they would not have to intervene. They were clearly scared of the man. That meant they had to deal with him before and that he spelled trouble. I remember thinking “Why does this have to happen to me?”

Eventually one of the other customers stepped in “You are bothering my girlfriend.” The woman with dark hair that I would soon learn to know as Annie said. I looked completely baffled.

The man of course did not believe it and said “Prove it! Kiss here in front of me.”

While I started to panic, I suddenly felt 2 soft lips touching mine. I knew she was just bluffing that man away, but up to that point, I did not realize how much I was craving a little bit of affection. I started crying while I kissed her back. I completely broke down on the spot.

She started patting me and said, “It’s okay now.” Then she glared at the man and said “See what you did! Now scram!”

After that Annie spent the whole night drinking with me and even though we weren’t a couple yet and nothing more than that one bluff kiss happened, I was most certainly completely infatuated by her by the time the evening ended, and I was sure that I wanted to see her again.

“Did something good happen to you?” Annie brought me back out of my daydreams. When did she come in?

She moved in closer and kissed me. “I thought I’d visit before my evening shift starts. You were so cute with that broad smile on your face.”

I started blushing “I was just reminiscing about the day we met.”

Annie instantly looked at me questioningly. “Did something happen?” She knew me too well. She read me like a book. She also knew what sparked our first meeting.

I started out by telling her about Fleure. A troubled girl that I would have to keep a close eye on. When I told Annie about the cute girl that sat next to her holding her hand the entire night, I could see that Annie was already enamored by the two girls she had not met before, and she said “I’ll help you keep an eye on them. Young love must be nurtured.”

Then I started telling her about the episode with Frank and I could see her grow angry. “I agree that we should not go to the principal immediately. I’ll have word with that man myself. I will make sure to make him regret his life choices. Rest assured he won’t bother you again.”

I could see some of the fire in Annie’s eyes that she had on the day we first met, and I felt a warm feeling bubble up inside of me. With her around, I knew I could feel safe.

I gave her another kiss before sending her off to work and whispered in her ear “Don’t work too late tonight. I’ll be waiting for you.”